Inherited Traits and Variation

Grade 3 Science Worksheet

Circle the answer.

1. 1.

   Which trait of a sunflower comes from its parent plants and not from its surroundings?

   • the shape of its seeds
   • leaves that droop without water
   • how tall it grows in shade
   • a stem bent by the wind
2. 2.

   A dog with a trimmed coat has puppies. Will the puppies be born with trimmed coats?

   • yes, all traits are passed to offspring
   • no, a haircut is not passed to offspring
   • no, because puppies have no fur
   • yes, because the puppies saw the haircut
3. 3.

   Which shows variation among pea plants grown from seeds of the same parent?

   • all of them grow from seeds
   • all of them have green leaves
   • some have purple flowers and some have white
   • all of them grow pods
4. 4.

   Why do sunflower seedlings look like the parent plant?

   • they copy the flowers they see
   • they get the shape from the soil
   • they learn the shape from nearby plants
   • they inherit traits from the parent plant
5. 5.

   Which pair shows an inherited trait and then a learned behavior?

   • a zebra's stripes; a cat's whiskers
   • a zebra's stripes; a dog fetching a ball
   • a cat's whiskers; a tiger's stripes
   • a dog fetching a ball; a horse jumping on command
6. 6.

   Puppies in a litter have different ear shapes. Their parents also have different ear shapes. What is the best explanation?

   • each puppy learned its ear shape
   • ear shape comes from the food they eat
   • each puppy inherited a mix of traits from both parents
   • ear shape changes with exercise
7. 7.

   A girl has curly hair like her mother and brown eyes like her father. What does this show?

   • hair and eye color are learned
   • offspring inherit traits from one parent only
   • offspring can inherit traits from both parents
   • offspring look exactly like one parent
8. 8.

   Which trait is most likely inherited by a pet rabbit?

   • fur trimmed short for summer
   • a short tail from an injury
   • the length of its ears
   • hopping to its owner for food
9. 9.

   Which detail about a kitten is learned, not inherited?

   • the shape of its ears
   • the color of its eyes
   • the pattern of its fur
   • using a litter box
10. 10.

    A litter of puppies all have spots like their mother, but each has a different number of spots. What does this show?

    • the puppies have different mothers
    • an inherited trait can vary among offspring
    • spots are learned from the mother
    • spots appear only after an injury